Man accused of shooting at off-duty officer, family arrested
TAOS — A man suspected of firing a handgun at an off-duty state police officer and the officer’s family was arrested without incident Monday at a residence at the Top of the World Farm near Costilla in far Northern New Mexico, according to state police, who sent a convoy of armored vehicles and officers in tactical gear to take the man into custody.
Andrew B. Mott, 58, was being held on suspicion of five counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, a fourth-degree felony, said Lt. Edwardo Martinez, commander of the state police Taos District.
“[Mott] has a violent criminal history in several other states,” Martinez said. “We suspected there might be highpowered firearms and possibly booby traps in his home.”
Martinez said he telephoned Mott after officers arrived at his home.
“I asked him to come out of the residence, which was our number one goal,” he said. “He refused, so I asked him
ALBUQUERQUE — A man who was in prison for 10 years and deported to Mexico for killing his girlfriend will get a new trial for the woman’s death.
Jose Vallecillo’s 1995 conviction in the death of Deborah Anaya was tossed out in January after he told the judge that his past lawyer failed to tell him that his no-contest plea would send the then-legal resident back to Mexico after his jail time, the Albuquerque Journal reported.
“Having this invalid conviction go away was a huge victory for him,” said Vallecillo’s defense attorney, Scott Davidson. “But having the [state] reprosecute it is devastating.”
In 1994, Vallecillo was charged with Anaya’s murder. Police say he shot Anaya at her home while her 6-year-old son was present. He was deported after he got out of jail in 2005. Vallecillo told Judge Christina Argyres that he and his family came to the United States from Mexico when he was 3. Vallecillo said he came back in 2007 because he had a hard time adapting to his home country. “I lived here all my life,” he said, according to court documents. “All my family is here. I would have never taken that plea.”
Vallecillo is in jail for his latest re-entry. Prosecutor Lelia Hood said Vallecillo’s criminal history also includes driving while intoxicated, aggravated assault and auto burglary convictions.